Should Scimitars be finessable in 3.5?

[D'karr]

The trade off for the players is to choose piercing and finesse, or slashing. Slashing is a more effective damage type that piercing (I think), and a slashing and finesse combo would be a no-brainer.

In terms of game mechanics this is not relevant since all weapons work the same against all armor types.

The few exceptions, like half damage for not using bludgeoning weapons against skeletons, don't make a complete body of game rules that would apply in this case.

Historically, slashing weapons became near useless against heavy armor unless they could punch through it, such as the Two-Handed Sword or the Hand and a Half (bastard) sword. Bludgeoning and piercing weapons were much more effective for attacking Heavy Armor since they could crush the enemy or slip through the defenses of the armor.

However, in game terms none of this things are really applicable. Since all weapons are equally effective against all armor types, in game terms, allowing a scimitar to be used with finesse as an exception seems to me to not affect anything in the overall scheme of game mechanics.

 

[The_Gneech]

Is a machete finessable?

-The Gneech, being vaguely irrelevant

 

[Utrecht]

Sure Why not? - and as I asked above - why not any weapon?

I can see someone of skill (but not strength) use finesse with any weapon instead of brute strength to connect.

 

[hong]

Is a machete finessable?

A machete is basically a shortsword, so yes.

As to whether bigger weapons than light should be finessable, I'd say yes, but limit it to individual weapons. In fact, I do that right now!


Hong "pimping you-know-what" Ooi

 

[Remathilis]

As for the opening up the gates for people wanting to finesse katanas and claymores next.... horsefeathers. Neither weapon has any precident that they should be finessable. One's a bastard sword, the other is a greatsword. That's like saying you shouldn't allow an ice-damage fireball spell without having it need the Energy Substitution feat because Orcs have a vulnerability to sunlight.

Actually, Katana has a precident for finessability... The Iajatsu Master PrC in Oriental Adventures gives free Finesse in Katana at first level, despite the fact it can't be finessed normally. (and the text notes that.)

I don't see a problem with finessed scimitars, but no weapon larger than that. I mean, Dex already gives bonus's to AC, Ref, Skills, missile fire, and Init, it doesn't need to be giving to hit bonus's to every weapon under the sun.

 

[Murrdox]

The only reason one of MY players would want a Scimitar to be Finessable would be to further min/max his or her player.

IMO, It's already easy enough to min/max in D&D... the players don't need more help. If a high dex player wants to take advantage of a high dex, he need to pick an appropriate weapon to fit his character, not change the rules of OTHER weapons to fit the needs of the character.

 

[Kusuf ibn Zaid]

I have been allowing scimitars to be finessable from day one in my Five Sultanates campaign. Of course I wanted to encourage the use of the scimitar for thematic reasons. My experience is that it doesn't make one iota of difference. Even though a large percentage of the PCs are using scimitars, none of the characters that have weapon finesse fall into this category.

- Kusuf

 

[Hand of Evil]

I feel that ALL weapons should be finessable at the right character level.

 

[Savage Wombat]

If we're going to change the rules anyway, I'd say change the scimitar so it's not mechanically the same as a rapier. Use the sabre if you want an additional fencing weapon, and find some other mechanism to make the scimitar distinctive from the long sword.

 

[MarcoDelVespuchi]

Scimitars should not be finesseable. Here's why:
From a 'make sense' real world perspective: Maybe....but it would require a minimum strenght to get the fullest benefit from your dexterity for the weapon. I don't care how nimble you think you are, you aren't going to swing a top heavy scimitar around unless you possess a certain level of strength. Due to those fun things like physics and levers and weights at the ends of sticks and force and whatnot a 5 lb piece of metal with 4 of those pounds located at the handle is going to be -far- easier to control than another 5lb piece of metal with 4 of those pound distributed at the tip. These weights are merely for illustration purposes and I have no actual data other than looking at those pics posted. The scimitar curved and widened towards the tip. The rapiers narrowed. Thus: Scimitar will have more weight towards the tip of the blade and require more strenght to wield effectively than an equally weighted rapier.

Thanks
Dick